Another hero has fallen from grace. Just this morning Lance Armstrong was stripped of another title, another medal, by the IOC. I along with millions of people am extremely disappointed and saddened by his lies and overall intent to deceive. I am also very excited to watch his interview on Oprah tonight. It is difficult for me to overlook the amazing work and charity he has done with cancer and LIVESTRONG. I want to believe there are two versions of Lance Armstrong, the ‘good’ one that is a beautiful humanitarian and the ‘complicated’ one, that fell into the machine/world of doping and black listed and threatened so many people around him. How could a man who has committed so many kind acts do something so sinister and dishonest?

What is doping exactly? Doping in sports is considered the use of any performance enhancing drug or procedure (blood transfusions) that give the athlete an unfair advantage. There are numerous types of hormones and drugs that fall under the category of doping. The following are the main ones that Lance Armstrong is being accused of taking.

EPO- increases the number of red blood cells in the athletes circulatory system.  This drug can be administered through and IV in what is called “micro-dosing”, as to not be detected during routine urine screenings.

  • Blood Transfusions-this is where the athlete’s blood is drawn and then re-infused a few hours before a race. By re-infusing blood, the red blood cells are carrying more oxygen. This helps the athlete to recover more quickly during competition. There is really no way to test for this, but many teammates testified seeing Armstrong participate in this on numerous occasions.
  • HGH- Human growth hormone is used to increase lean muscle mass, aid in weight loss, increase strength and help with recovery.
  • Cortisone- can increase recovery and is said to give a burst/high of energy.

The world will sit and wait for the interview that will set the record straight tonight. But, what is the worst part of this whole thing? The fact that he took the drugs or that he lied? And maybe we should let all athletes take enhancing drugs, at least they will all be on an equal playing field.  What are your thoughts?

 

What you wear could be affecting your mood. I know it is the middle of winter and black or grey are just the easiest color to throw on, but you may be doing more harm than good to yourself and to others around you. Ever wonder why the color red is considered so sexy or romantic? W
hen we look at the color red our blood pressure actually rises. This may be why men think red nails or a red dress is so sexy. The opposite is true of the color blue. Blue causes blood pressure to lower and thus has a calming sensation on our brain and mood.

Next time you’e in a winter slump try a hot red nail polish or wear a bright pink sweater. If you tend to run a little hot naturally, try painting one wall in your bedroom a light blue and dim your lights to relax. Winter can get us down but just a pop of color can get us through until Spring!

We are only hours away from 2013. The clock strikes midnight, you give a kis
s or get a kiss and celebrations kick into full gear. But when the dust settles, what will you really change in the new year? I remember when I was child, new years resolutions were a big deal.. I’d think of one or two and take them very seriously as I tried to follow them (usually only lasting a few weeks).

Even as an adult, I make resolutions, some I’ve stuck to and some have fallen by the way side. This year has been filled with a lot of joy and blessings both personally and professionally for me and my family. For that I am grateful, but when I look around our world it is evident that we need to change. We need to change as a people. Violence in our society is nothing new, it is part of being a human being, and it is not going away anytime soon. I’m not sure where we actually begin to fix this problem, but I think it has to start with each individual. This year my resolution is to create peace and love within my own life which in turn will spread and hopefully influence others. One act of kindness or acceptance a day is what I will aim for.

Love, acceptance and equality equals peace. Wishing everyone a very happy and safe New Year full of peace and love.